The Experience to Lead

The Ramsey County Attorney is the chief prosecutor for the county. With a staff of more than 300 — constituting the largest law office in the county — the County Attorney prosecutes all felony-level adult crime and all juvenile crime, protects abused children and vulnerable adults, enforces child support obligations, and advises and represents the county and county agencies.

A Ramsey County native, Dave Pinto is an active domestic violence prosecutor in the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, fighting daily to protect children and families. With this experience and his broad background, Pinto is uniquely qualified to serve as Ramsey County Attorney:

CRIMINAL LAW AND POLICY

  • The only candidate with experience in any county attorney's office
  • The only candidate in the courtroom every day prosecuting crime
  • Specializes in domestic abuse incidents in which children are present, working to break the cycle of violence
  • As an assistant in the County Attorney's Office, provided analysis and advocacy on a range of criminal justice policy issues, in conjunction with the Minnesota County Attorneys Association
  • Handled criminal and other appeals as a law clerk to the pioneering federal Judge Diana Murphy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit (the level just below the U.S. Supreme Court)
  • Supported Judge Murphy’s work as chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which establishes criminal sentencing policy for the federal courts
  • One of only three prosecutors in the state to be named a "Rising Star" by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine

CIVIL AND PUBLIC INTEREST LAW

  • Previously in private practice at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., one of the nation's preeminent law firms
  • Achieved an historic court ruling barring a northwest suburban high school from discriminating against its GLBT students – the first-ever such ruling in our region of the country, and one that students throughout the country can use to vindicate their rights
  • Built a diverse practice at Robins, serving as outside general counsel for a wide variety of public and private organizations of all sizes
  • Provided hundreds of hours of free legal services each year to low-income individuals, as well as to organizations such as Friends of the Mississippi River, the Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minnesota, and the St. Paul Capital Investment Budget Committee
  • Protected voting rights, through repeated service at polling sites, of individuals in traditionally disenfranchised communities

ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, & COMMUNITY SERVICE

  • World-class training in management and finance from the top-ranked Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia
  • Served in the Clinton White House and in Congressman Bruce Vento's office
  • Worked at several highly regarded management consulting firms
  • Vice-Chair, Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation
  • Helped found the St. Paul Parks Conservancy, which supports park and recreational opportunities for youth and others in the city
  • Board member, Partners for Violence Prevention and St. Paul Capital Investment Budget Committee
  • Former board member, Highland District Council